Letter from Rigo Padilla to Senator Durbin & Congressman Gutierrez

[Tania Unzueta]

Please distribute An Open Letter from Rigo Padilla to Senator Durbin & Congressman Gutierrez Honorable Senator Richard Durbin, Honorable Congressman Luis Gutierrez, My name is Rigoberto Padilla and I have been in this country since the age of 6. I started the first grade in this country and have been in school ever since. I was never aware of my undocumented status until I was a senior in high school. At the time, I could not understand what made me so different from the rest of my friends that I grew up with. In applying to colleges, the issue of being an undocumented student became a reality and it started to directly affect me.  I realized that because of my status, I would never be granted the same resources that the rest of my class was entitled to. Currently, I attend Harold Washington College and I am about to receive my Associate’s Degree in Arts with a Latin American and Latino Emphasis. I have faced the same struggle of undocumented students in trying to continue their higher education. Although undocumented students are granted in-state tuition in Illinois, the cost of tuition has always been a problem. The always-increasing cost of tuition has always been a problem for me, just like it has been for all undocumented students. I have worked full-time to pay for my education and in the same process have been filing my taxes every year. The difficulty of paying tuition is extremely challenging because I was pushed to work a low-paying job, like most undocumented students are in this country. To compensate for a low-paying job, I have been forced to work full-time job, while still being a full-time student. I have applied to the University of Illinois at Chicago, so that I can continue my goal of receiving a Bachelors in Journalism and Pre-Law, which accomplish my ultimate goal of becoming a lawyer. At Harold Washington College, I have been the President of the Organization of Latin American Students. As a student leader on campus, I have been part of the student movement, which is composed of several Chicago universities, that has been organizing around the issue of an immigration reform. Outside of Harold Washington, I have been an intern at Radio Arte, a public radio station, which has been properly training me in the field of journalism. Also at the same time, I have remained active in the community. Before moving to the southside of Chicago, I was part of the non-for-profit organization, Erie Neighborhood House, in which a volunteered weekly. Currently, I have been volunteering at Casa Aztlan, another non-for-profit organization, which is located in Pilsen. The purpose for this letter is to ask you to do as much as possible in my deportation proceedings. I was arrested for a DUI without a license and now face deportation. I was transferred to Cook County Jail from the District 8 police station. At Cook County Jail, I was handed over to immigration once I was identified as a citizen of Mexico. I understand that Chicago has been recognized as a sanctuary city, but I feel that my case shows that there is not much enforcement of this law. Once in custody of ICE, I was released with an ankle bracelet because I did not have a criminal record and because of the time that I have been in the United States. The issue with my case is that I do not have a qualifying relative that is a U.S. citizen. For that reason, there is no legal path to legalization for me to remain in this country. I feel that I have been a productive citizen to this country during my time here. I understand that the DREAM ACT is up for consideration in Congress. I ask that because the DREAM ACT has been proposed, that my deportation proceedings be put on hold, if not cancelled. I am being charged with not being entering the country legally with proper inspection. I feel that because I was 6 years old when this happened, that I should not be held accountable for this. I have taken full responsibility for my DUI case and I feel that this was one mistake that I committed, should not lead to my deportation. I consider myself American, but I have been identified as Mexican and penalized for it. I have been in this country for 15 years and have struggled to continue my education with what little I have. I feel that I am not alone in this struggle. I ask that you do as much as possible in putting a hold to the deportation proceedings of other undocumented students that face deportation because they are being penalized for entering the country illegally. This issue is potentially a threat to all undocumented students, in the sense that a traffic stop or any minor offense could lead to being handed over to the custody of ICE. Once again, I urge you to take action in this matter because the Dream Act, which you have taken part in proposing, can potentially be my path and the path for other undocumented students to legalization. I hope that you take this letter into consideration and take action in this matter.   Sincerely, Rigoberto Padilla